Twilight Eyes
by IraOphelia
Summary: [Companion to Valkyrie by Perfectflyer (check it out!)] A misanthropic Machina, only interested in his studies, rescues and, inadvertently, befriends an energetic Homs girl. Unwittingly, she turns his lonely world upside-down.
1. The Day We Met

A/N: Hi readers!

This story serves, somewhat, as a companion to Perfectflyer's _Valkyrie._ (It's a really exciting story, you should check it out!)

This story follows Rhodri, the studious Machina anthropologists that is always bothering Teanna. This series of oneshots takes place well before they end _Xenoblade Chronicles,_ closer to the Battle of Sword Valley.

I kindly donated Rhodri to Perfectflyer's story, and I am happy to finally debut him myself!

Please enjoy. :D

The sand glinted lightly in the moonlight, and my boots slid slightly with each step. This was my favorite time of day. The moon had almost completely risen and the light of the sun was just peeking over the boundless waves of Endless Sea. It was the moment the night and the day coalesced into the short-lived, yet enchanting, twilight. Most Machina retired to the colony in the evening, leaving the beaches barren and quiet.

Tonight, I needed the quiet. The people of the Fallen Arm often left me feeling suffocated. Even amongst the other scholars in my colony, my devotion to edification was misunderstood. It seemed that no one could appreciate that I found comfort in the printed word, not the comfort of another person. I had never had that luxury in my youth, but I had a suspicion I was not missing much.

I shuffled around a colossal and misshapen metal shard, one of the many littering the beach. Fallen refuse from the Bionos and Mechonis found its way onto my home island. The beaches of the Fallen Arm were scattered with wreckages of spent Mechon bodies or warped Homs contraptions. The thought of the many races living high above me filled me with wonder. I longed to see the marvelous wonders of the Bionis that I had only read about in dusty old tomes. As I watched, the stars began to glitter enticingly around the shadowy forms of the frozen giants. I stared deeply into the shadows of the behemoths for a long while.

The sound of the lapping tide brought me out of my reverie. The glow of my internal flow of ether lightly illuminated the beach around me. I noticed the glimmer of a shell washed in by the waves. I bent and dislodged it from the sands. To my surprise, it was a piece of armor only lightly tarnished by the ocean water. I laid it back into the sand. It likely belonged to a Defense Force soldier who had fallen onto the island during the Battle of Sword Valley.

A twitch of movement along the shore caught my attention. A little ways from me, lay the form of a Homs. A halo of blood surrounded her in the sand. Without much thought, I skidded along the sand towards her. Nearing her bloody visage, I hesitated. From what I could see, the Homs girl was dead. Her cheek was pressed into the sand, while half of her body was still in the water. The blood around her seemed never ending and her skin was bluish from overexposure to the cold sea. Yet, as I watched, I saw her body rise with a shallow intake of breath.

I glanced around the empty beach, looking for someone who could do something. For moment, I considered leaving her. She would surely die soon anyway; I could do to stop the inevitable. Yet… something told me that I should at least try. It was what anyone would deserve in their last moments. I covered the remaining distance between use and wrung my hands nervously, unsure what to do next. I remembered reading once that an injured person should not be moved before assessing their wounds.

I inspected her body, but there were no wounds on her back. However, the blood pooling around her had to have a source. Being as delicate as I could, I rolled her onto her back. I immediately found the source of the blood. A flurry of gashes began on the side neck and ran almost all the way down to her hips. Her entire shoulder was in ribbons and disfigured by burns. I noticed that the shoulder guard on the unmarred shoulder matched the one in the sand. The wounds were a ghastly color, even in the low light I could see the infection caused by the poisoned water of the sea. I looked away from the oozing wounds. I had only confirmed my suspicions; this Homs chance of survival was grim.

I pulled her into my arms, taking care not to jostle her too much. I resolutely decided that I would still take her to Linada; I had no right to decide if a person lived or died. I hurried off the sand towards the colony. The girl let out a soft whimper and I slowed down my pace. Her long eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened for a moment. The color of eyes was the deep, navy blue of dusk, just before the sun completely disappears and the sky turns black. She let out a breath, almost a word, before her consciousness completely faded. I felt a rush of confusion and dread. With new determination, I rushed back to the colony.

I only realized upon later inspection of the memory that she had said only two words:

"Thank you."


	2. Formal Introductions

A/N: Hi ya'll. As mentioned before, this is a companion to Perfectflyer's Valkyrie, check it out if you enjoy this story.

I'm happy to have some fun with my OCs for once; although, Perfectflyer does a great job with them in her story.

So proud to say that I finally legitimately own the cover image for this story.

Thanks for reading. :D

* * *

"Rhodri," Linada's voice broke into his reverie, "She wishes to see you." Linada stood before him, arms crossed, face resolute.

"How illogical," Rhodri muttered, flipping to the next page in the Machina history book. He began to read again and attempted to ignore Linada's presence.

"Not entirely; she wants to thank you." Linada leaned down and covered the book with her hand. He rolled his eyes and glanced up at the earnest medic.

"I require no positive affirmation for my action. She owes me nothing." He scowled. Linada left out a puff of exasperation.

"I don't care what you want," She planted her hands firmly on her hips; "My patient wants to see you and will not rest until she does. She is a stubborn one… That's something you two have in common."

"Is this flattery meant to alter my decision?" Rhodri replied coldly. Linada sighed, and with sagging shoulders, resorted to begging.

"Please just stop in for moment so she can finally calm down and begin to heal. You've seen her wounds. That infection won't be easy to beat." Linada pleaded and a pregnant silence followed. Rhodri snapped the book shut; Linada jumped slightly at the sound.

"She is impairing her recovery, then?" Rhodri asked, turning his yellow eyes onto the medic.

"Oh, uh, yes!" Linada nodded. He scooped the book off the table and stood with a flourish.

"Take me to her, before I change my mind." Linada nodded happily and led Rhodri out of the room. They arrived shortly to Linada's medical facilities. Linada had been occupied with a wash of patients due to the war between the Mechon and the inhabitants of the Bionis. Rhodri could not have cared less about the outcome to the war, but the prospect of history being made did thrilled him.

"Here we are." Linada opened the door to a private room and ushered him inside. The Homs girls sat in her bed, almost enveloped by pillows and the wires and tubes hooked to the Machina machines around her. She looked up as they entered. Her eyes glimmered as she smiled at us.

"Linada, he did come! And you said he wouldn't. You were so worried." The girl laughed. A flash of pain went across her face, bringing her laughter to a halt. Her right arm gingerly wrapped around her left side, which was entirely obscured by bandages.

"Don't strain yourself." Linada went to her side and administered more pain medication. Rhodri inspected the girl form affair, finally able to see her features clearly without a coating of blood. Her skin was pale and ghostly, but her skin appeared to have a natural tawny hue. The fringes of her wounds were still an unnatural purple from the poisonous water. Her deep ultramarine eyes stood out in contrast against her white face, making her eyes seem deep and dark. Coppery brown hair tumbled down past her shoulder, shining with undertones of red and gold.

"There you are. Now, please try to relax." Linada finished tinkering with the machines around the girl.

"Will do, Linada." The girl said with an impish smile. Linada left the room, politely shutting the door behind her. With a flick of her wrist, her copper hair was tucked behind her ear. In Linada's absence, the room had grown quiet. The girl seemed content to leer at Rhodri. Growing frustrated, he crossed his arms and spoke.

"Linada says you wish to thank me." Rhodri broke the silence. The girl jumped a little bit at his sudden vocalization and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh yes! I did. I'm sorry I got a little distracted; you're very beautiful. I'm fascinated that each of the Machina are all so unique." Rhodri furrowed his brows. She was trying to be charming. All the Homs were the same; they would charm you to get what they wanted.

"Come here so we can be formally introduced." She beckoned him towards her bed, holding out her right hand. Rhodri approached hesitantly, already growing weary of her annoying energy. Rhodri took her hand, completely obscuring her small hand in his.

"I'm Eleanor, it's a real pleasure to meet you" Eleanor smiled brightly. It appeared that a smile never left this Homs' face.

"Rhodri." He replied blandly, eager to leave.

"Thank you for saving me, Rhodri." Eleanor added. Something in her voice drew his golden eyes to her navy eyes. Her gaze was earnest and sincere.

"My virtues dictated my actions. You are in no way in my debt." Rhodri dropped her hand and pulled away from her gaze.

"You're succinct, aren't you?" Eleanor could not help smiling at her witticism. Rhodri's face did not change from his default scowl. Rhodri muttered a goodbye. He had almost escaped, when Eleanor called out to him.

"Will you stop by again?" Eleanor asked.

"That is highly improbable." Rhodri glanced back long enough to see the nonplussed look on her face before he sauntered away.

Linada entered soon after Rhodri left.

"You look surprised. I warned you that he was not one of those knights-in-shining-armor that pervade Homs storybooks." Linada fluffed a few pillows behind Eleanor. The girl did not seem to notice, her gaze was far off.

"Now that's over, you can relax." Linada noticed the she was not listening at all, "Is something wrong?" She inspected her patient carefully. Eleanor shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. It's just… He looked so sad." Eleanor mused. Linada shook her head, a wry smile on her lips.

"He's not the kind to be sad. He thinks emotions are beneath him."

"It's not that easy to ignore them, you know," Eleanor looked toward the bright windows, a small frown on her lips "It wasn't an outward emotion; I could see it in his eyes."

"Ah well, than he hides his humanity well." Linada replied.


	3. New Friendship

A/N: Hi readers! Thanks for reading about my obscure OCs. :)

Remember, you can read more about Rhodri and more exciting people in Perfectflyer's _Valkyrie._

* * *

"The entrance exam is in two weeks." Rhodri's academic advisor pointed out on his holographic calendar. Rhodri tried not to roll his eyes. He had been preparing for the entrance exam into the anthropology graduate school program at the local university for over a year. He had been counting down the hours. A passing grade meant that he was officially on the way to living his dream. The program was grueling and known for weeding out the weak of heart, but Rhodri knew he was prepared.

"You'll be interested to know that I have been given a copy of my entrance exam from back in the day," his advisor chuckled and pulled out a yellowed packet of paper. Not that it would be much use to Rhodri, the exam never had repeat questions. Noticing Rhodri's unamused look, his advisor continued.

"There was an emphasis on High Entia rituals regarding the Bionite Order-"

"I've written three papers on that subject." Rhodri sighed impatiently. The longer he was here listening to things he already knew, the more studying time he lost.

"Ah, but there was also a few substantial questions on the Homs." The advisor continued.

"I'll show myself out," Rhodri stood, collecting his items.

"Rhodri," his advisor elaborated, "I just want you to be prepared on all fronts. Your focus may be the Machina, but the exam requires an extensive knowledge of all races."

"Understood, sir." Without a second glance, Rhodri whisked out of the room. His advisor let out a deep and suffering sigh.

"What an intelligent boy," He shook his head, "Its' a shame he is so disagreeable."

* * *

"Rhodri?" A voice called. Rhodri's thoughts were pulled away from listing the greatest Nopon elders in chronological order and in order of importance. A group of female Machina approached him across the university's main quad. With disinterest, he noted that they had been in one of his classes during the past semester. Rhodri waited impatiently for the girls to approach. The more diminutive of the three girls stepped forward.

"Hi Rhodri, uh, I was in Arch-Ed with you, my name's-"

Rhodri deftly cut her off, "Adira, correct?" Rhodri remembered her. She would always chat with her friends during the lecture and had garishly red nails. Rhodri noted that her nails matched the pink of her eyes, but he cared too little to appreciate her stylistic choice.

"Oh yes, uh, you know my name?" She looked hopefully up at him.

"Only due to well trained memorization; I make it habit to memorize the names and faces of the students in all of my courses." Rhodri replied, without missing a beat he added, "Did you need something?" Adira fumbled for words.

"I just… I really admire your commitment to your education." Adira explained slowly. Rhodri contemplated whether her speech programing had been jammed.

"Yeah, and she admires your handsome face." One of her friends cut in. Adira's eyebrows shot up as her friends laughed impishly. She shushed them angrily.

"No! I mean, I really do find you very handsome." Adira added, smiling shyly. Rhodri was beginning to find this encounter tedious.

"Is this an attempt to schedule a rendezvous with me?" Rhodri asked impatiently. With wide eyes, Adira nodded.

"Then I must stop you there, and decline your offer." Rhodri said. He glanced at the holographic watch affixed to his wrist. Adira stared down at the ground and her shoulders slumped.

"Oh, sorry to bother you." She turned and her friends ushered her away. Rhodri continued to his flat, giving little thought to the scene. He had grown accustom to those sorts of confessions, but he was always characteristically unamiable when it came to turning them down. He was a strong believer in not perpetuating fantasies. His relationship with other Machina did not interest him.

On the walk back to his flat, Rhodri went through his knowledge of each race, objectively quantifying his percentage of comprehension. To his chagrin, his knowledge of the Homs fell into only an 88% comprehension level, while the others plateaued around 93-95%. A weak link, no matter how small, had the possibility to affect his performance on the exam. Rhodri would not stand for that.

Coming to his flat, Rhodri hurriedly unlocked the front door. As it swung open, a note stuck to the door fluttered in the breeze. Rhodri peeled it off and absently inspected it. It was another note from Linada, urging him to visit Eleanor again. That Homs girl was persistent to a fault. He sighed; he did not have time for her trifles.

Leaving the note on the table, he collected all of his notes and books on the Homs. Seeing the formidable pile looming before him, it started to seem like an overwhelmingly daunting task. Rhodri picked up Linada's note again, and his annoyance dispelled. Rather than cramming for more information, he had a more effective method of studying in mind.

Perhaps making friends with this Homs girl could prove useful.

* * *

Eleanor thoughtfully looked on as Rhodri scribbled furiously in his notes. Per his request, Linada had added a small writing table beside Eleanor's bed. Due to his frequent visits, Rhodri had been learning an incredible amount about Homs culture. Eleanor was concise and clear in her answers, and she had been an invaluable font of knowledge. Rhodri could not help being pleased with himself. Unlike the other students vying for a spot in the program, Rhodri was getting first hand ethnographic data, which was always more useful than theoretical knowledge alone. Anthropology was perfect for him; he was resourceful and persistent. Rhodri smiled to himself.

"You're grinning," Eleanor pointed out. Rhodri jumped at the sudden intrusion and quickly righted his already perfect posture and erased the overconfident smile on his face. Eleanor laughed; a common sound that often followed her unfinished thoughts.

"As I was saying," Rhodri scanned his question master list, not at all shortened by his daily visits, "continue telling me about-"

Eleanor deftly cut him off with a surprisingly loud sigh of displeasure. Rhodri glanced at the Homs, his eyebrows raised at her sudden disapproval.

"I'm tired about talking about Homs. I want to learn more about you and the Machina." Eleanor nodded as she spoke, as if to give her sentence more credence.

"You want to learn about me? How absurd." Rhodri scoffed.

"It's really only reciprocity, my friend," Eleanor replied, "I've been helping you, so now you can answer some of my questions."

Rhodri needed a moment to refocus. She had brazenly referred to him as her friend; no one had ever referred to him as such before. His golden eyes searched Eleanor's face for some hint of deception, but her dusk blue eyes were bright and clear. An odd feeling of confusion over took him; along with an unfamiliar warmth. Rhodri cleared his throat.

"I suppose there is no fallacy in your logic." Rhodri admitted.

"Great!" Eleanor cheered, her enthusiasm not stymied by her wounds or bandages. Rhodri nodded towards her, waiting for her to begin her questioning. He wondered what she could possibly want to know about him. He was uninteresting at best. He would much rather discuss a more intellectual topic. As he glared disinterestedly at the Homs girl, her cheeks flushed into a rosy pink.

The silence deepened.

"I, uh, forgot everything I wanted to ask." Eleanor finally stammered. Her free hand came up to pull at her earlobe in an anxious gesture. Rhodri felt a bubble of mirth form within him. With an elegant hand, he stifled the indecent chortle that threatened to escape from his lips.

"I didn't think I'd convince you so easily, so I wasn't prepared." Eleanor explained. Her cheeks grew pinker as she spoke. Rhodri had to take extra care to keep his breaths even.

"Rhodri, is something wrong? You look like you're about to be sick." Eleanor noticed Rhodri's strained expression. Instead of reassuring her when Rhodri opened his mouth, his hidden guffaws escaped. Eleanor was momentarily alarmed, fearing he was malfunctioning.

"Wait… Are you laughing?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Rhodri could not reply due to his chortles. Eleanor let out a pleased giggle.

"I didn't think that you were physically capable of laughing, considering that you hardly ever crack a smile."

Gaining some control, Rhodri attempted to speak clearly, "We Machina are programmed to feel joy. We are like Homs, in the sense that we feel all emotions and have the physical responses to them. You could say that we are just in sturdier packages."

"Then why are you crabby all the time?" Eleanor rebutted. Rhodri was taken aback by her question. Her voice had the notes of an insult, but her face revealed an easygoing smile. He was used to insults, but this one felt different. He decided to handle it as he usually handled offences.

"I have developed a refined control over my emotions. I have no need for superfluous expressions or feelings." Rhodri looked away from Eleanor's beaming face, his own expression cold. Eleanor leaned forward and forced Rhodri's eyes back onto her.

"Don't look like that; I was only joking." Eleanor's twilight eyes glinted apologetically. Rhodri was not sure how to respond; everyone usually meant him harm. How should he reply to a joke?

Eleanor intently watched as Rhodri's dark expression changed to one of confusion.

"That's what friends do; they joke around." Eleanor elucidated.

"Friendship is intentionally, yet insincerely, insulting each other?" Rhodri inquired. Eleanor paused. Her face immediately softened as she looked at the misanthropic Machina.

"I guess it is." Eleanor gave Rhodri a soft smile. With some hesitation, she added, "Have you had friends before?" Rhodri's golden eyes flicked around the brightly lit medical room; he attempted to find his voice after the disarming question.

"I cannot say that I have." Rhodri replied as coolly as he could. Eleanor was shocked into silence. Her hand instinctively latched onto her ear lobe again.

"But, we are friends, yes?" Rhodri hazarded; his voice was suddenly small and unsure.

"Yes of course," Eleanor nodded vigorously. Her free hand trailed over to the bandages still tightly binding her shoulder.

"Then I'd like to say," Rhodri hesitated again, "That it was quite laughable that you have forgotten your inquiries." Eleanor's coppery eyebrows quirked together in confusion. Rhodri felt a thrill of apprehension.

"Did I execute that witticism decorously?" Rhodri asked. Eleanor's confused expression quickly spread into a smile.

"Yes, yes it was perfect." Eleanor replied.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


End file.
